


Clay and marble

by dontmindme_imafangirl



Series: Who said flowers can't bloom in space? [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Tumblr Prompts, au!, if that's even a thing lol, sculptor!AU, short one-shot, shy lance is what i live for tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 14:38:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8717782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontmindme_imafangirl/pseuds/dontmindme_imafangirl
Summary: Lance is a sculptor, fairly well-known for his intriguing and delicate works.For his new series, he's in dire need for a model to pose for him......Hunk may just know the right person for the job.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Another tumblr prompt-if you'd like to see more, or request a prompt, head over to my tumblr: dontmindme-imafangirl.tumblr.com :)

****  
If it was one thing Hunk was used to, after exposure to it for so many years, it was Lance’s whining.

“But Hunk, _why_?”

He tried his best to ignore the moping mess of a best friend he had clinging to the sleeve of his shirt, face pouting and brows furrowed.

“But what? You’re the one that insisted you needed a model ASAP, Lance.”

“Yes, a model, not my fucking mortal enemy! You of all people should know that!”

Hunk sighed, refusing to give into the puppy eyes his friend was trying his best to throw at him.

“For heck’s sake Lance, just admit that you have a huge-ass crush on the guy and get this whole rivalry thing over with. I don’t even get why you’re clinging on to that story still. This whole ordeal happened in high school. It’s been years since then man!”

Lance released him from the death grip he had had on his sleeve, only to bring a dramatic hand to his forehead, tilting his head back in the process.

“Hunk! How-How could you?! There’s no way I’d ever like someone…someone with a _mullet_!“

He huffed, crossing his hands over his chest. “And anyway, I don’t get how that guy even agreed to model for me anyway. He hated my guts! You know he did Hunk, don’t give me that look”, he groaned when Hunk glared at him, too busy typing a fast message to Pidge to deal with Lance’s shenanigans. “Honestly, when I asked you for help to find a model, I did not expect such betrayal!”

Correction. Hunk may have been used to Lance’s whining. That didn’t mean he could withstand it.

“Lance. Either you get your stuff together, work with the model _I_ took the effort of finding for you, or I’m calling Pidge.”

Hunk felt satisfied when Lance gasped but remained silent, mumbling something with a nod of his head.

“Good. Now, it’s about time you put an end to the whole high-school rivalry thing you two had going on back then. He’s grown out of it, and you’ve grown out of it, and what more professional way to show that to each other than by working together?” he clasped his hands, broad smile decorating his face.

Even if Lance wanted to get angry, he knew that his childhood friend had never meant any ill intentions when, after hearing him whine for weeks on end about not finding a model for his works, Hunk went through the trouble of looking for one as well. He must’ve sincerely thought that by calling him of all people, he’d be able to help Lance kill two birds with one stone.

Yet the only thing getting killed here was nothing else but Lance’s ego, since as much as he hated to admit it, Hunk was right; there was no such thing as a rivalry going on between him and Keith Kogane.

Just a big, fat crush that had never gone away entirely, even after so many years.

****  
He was already prepping the materials he’d need for the day, gathering lifeless masses of clay into what slightly resembled a human figure.

His studio might’ve not been the greatest, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t proud of it. Through years of hard work, he’d managed to built a small reputation for himself, getting him a spot into different exhibitions and closing one a many deals with both customers and some small-time labels.

Lance always prided himself in his ability to turn a mass of pliable goo into works of art, his work fluid and serene, and his studio was nothing if not a living proof of the fact; in it resided all of his previous works, the ones that he was either too deeply attached to sell, or still working on, the light coming through half-lidded windows swirling the thin lines and curves of each piece, turning each into a different masterpiece all together.

He’d always taken pride in his work. He _knew_ he was good, and he’d most definitely worked with models before, and yet, why did he feel like his hands were about to give out at any minute since this morning?

Before he got a chance to give himself an answer to that, there was a knock on his door, soft but firm, giving Lance all types of emotions before he managed to gather himself up and open his studio’s door, collecting himself and his trembling hands along the way.

Get yourself together Lance, this is just a casual work meeting, just a casual work meeting, just a-

Oh.

Keith was…not quite like what Lance had remembered him to be.  
Of course, the dark orbs with pools of violet were still there, his eyes drawing him in as much as they did the very first day he locked eyes with him on their first shared art class. His hair was still raven black, albeit significantly longer, the mullet he’d used to love to tease long gone and replaced with a low ponytail, some loose strands tucked behind his ears.

He could’ve been wrong, but he swore he was taller too, both men almost at eye level now, stark contrast to the height difference Lance was accustomed too.   
And as if that wasn’t enough, he recognised the beginning of a stubble lining the man’s jaw,

“Uh. Earth to Lance…? Hello?”

He snapped out of it when he noticed a pale hand moving across his face, and a blush crept to his face when he realised he was _staring_ at Keith, barely even forming a proper greeting to him without stuttering.

“Keith! Hey, sorry, I was uh, kinda spaced out there. Come on in!” he grinned, contemplating all the while wether jumping straight out of his studio’s window would save him the embarrassment of what’s to come.

Truth be told, he was expecting Keith to retort with a snappy comment or a glare, or something of the like as he was used to, but instead was shocked to find a small smile toying on the man’s lips, almost cloyingly so.

“As odd as it may be, I sure am glad to see you again. And I’m even more glad you haven’t changed a bit.”

Okay. Lance was expecting many things out of this meeting. Getting punched was one of them. Having to look for another model was also ranking very high up on his list of possibilities. A bit lower on that same list but also highly probable was the chance of this Keith being another Keith that so happened to share the same surname as his Keith.

But this? This he did not expect.  
And so he dealt with the unknown in the most Lance-way possible.

“Haven’t changed a bit? I’ll have you know I’ve not only changed hairstyles more than twice, I’ve also made a small name for myself, Mullet Boy.” he huffed, no malice evident in his words despite the harshness of them.

To his even further surprise, Keith laughed, small but genuine, hiding his huffed breaths behind the back of his jacket’s sleeve.

“How can you…I don’t even have a mullet Lance. Nor did I ever, now that you mention it.”

He was about to retort, but something in the way their banter felt more light-hearted than ever made him change his mind.

“You know what? I’m not answering that. I’ve had the rights to call you Mullet Boy reserved since we were teens, and I refuse to give them up.” he grinned, opening the door further to let Keith in.

His grin becoming wider at the shock on Keith’s face once he stood face to face with all the works Lance was priding himself on.

Keith’s eyes widened, taking in the scenery around him. the pure awe on his face making Lance self-conscious.

“I did hear that you were doing a really great work on your field” he breathed, eyes locking with one of Lance’s favourite creations-it was a robot-like lion, it’s size significantly smaller than what he had initially envisioned, but still elegant and poise, it’s back arched and tail swinging in the air, its weight supported on the base of the sculpture only by the tip of its paw. “Now I can see how absolutely right they were.”

“I see you’ve been keeping tabs on me?”

The flustered expression that overtook Keith made him chuckle, feeling avenged for his initial goof when he first opened the door.

“I just-uh, no, I mean-“

Lance laughed, coming closer to the shorter man to pat a hand on his back.

“Relax dude, I was just kidding. I did a quick research on you too. Apparently you moved to Korea for a while and made quite a name for yourself?” he leaned back when Keith nodded, eyes moving to lock onto the lion sculpture yet again.

“Yeah, but I’m here now aren’t I? Plus, I’m your model for the next couple of weeks, so we should probably get started on..that?”

Lance nodded in agreement, ignoring the way his heart looped at the sound of the word ‘your’ coming from Keith’s mouth.

“Right you are mullet”, he grinned, “Then without further ado-please strip.”

****

Sure, they’d shared locker rooms during compulsory gym classes before.   
It’s not like this was the first time he ever saw a man’s naked body, both in and outside of work.

Yet there was a different taste in his mouth when he knew that the body he was looking at was Keith’s, the same guy he’d steal glances at since he was a love-struck teen.

The guy had gotten a lot more built since back then. Of course that was to be expected, him being a famous model and all, but there was just something about him, that despite the sculptured muscles and toned abs, there was a certain type of…delicate air surrounding him. Be it from the pale skin stretching thin over blue veins and lean form, or the long hair that reached quite a bit over his shoulders, the raven black contrasting the white of his skin and the amethyst of his eyes, there was just something about him that made Lance understand why Keith was as famous in the modelling industry as he was.

He had the decency to look away while Keith was stripping out of his clothes, ignoring the constricting feeling in his throat, but couldn’t help but take a minute to take in the form standing in front of him afterwards, excited that he’d be able to work with someone like him as his muse.

“Take a picture McClain, it’ll last longer.” Keith snorted, evidently used to awe-stricken expressions such as the one Lance was certain he was wearing right now.

“Nice to see you remained humble Kogane.” he retorted, promptly turning around to grab his apron, now dirty from the amount of work he’d been doing the past few days, and throwing it on, moving to stand in front of the model, separated only by a few meters distance and a large boulder of clay that only slightly resembled a human figure.

The minute Lance’s hands made contact with the clay, his whole demeanour changed, switching from the angsty teenage boy that Keith had managed to reawaken inside him, into the artist he had eventually become, years of long work leading him up to this point.

“Do you remember the pose I showed you?”

Keith nodded, swiftly switching his neutral position to the one Lance had asked him to take-with a sheet loosely tucked around his hips, a hand barely keeping it in place while the other hang by his side, tilting himself at an angle where he was looking down at the floor, neck exposed and jaw prominent from Lance’s point of view.

The artist hummed at the result, pleased to find that everything was exactly the way he imagined it to be.

The fact that it was Keith standing there merely just made the whole situation a bit nicer. And may have given him further motivation, though if asked, Lance would of never admit to that.

*****  
Keith didn’t mind holding a pose for long. Doing so was more or less his job by now after all.   
Sure, he’d usually end the day with a few nicks and crooks he’d have to work out of his strained back and neck by the end of the day, but he always did so without complaint, letting people think that he wasn’t even fazed by the whole ordeal.

Yet there was something about this current situation, how he felt an ocean blue taking him in from head to toe, that made him squiggle his toes and flutter his eyelids, almost unable to stay still.

When Hunk called him, rumbling about how he found his cell through a few common acquaintances and how he really wanted to ask him a favour, he had only returned back to his hometown for no more than a month, quietly planning to lay low for a while after deciding to take a few months off of work to relax and take some time to look at other prospects of his career.

He was borderline ready to refuse the job offer, politely explaining how though he was flattered Hunk took the effort to contact him but he wasn’t up for business right now, but when Lance’s name popped into the conversation, he suddenly lost all reason.

How could he forget Lance? He knew that the guy probably hated him in high school, but there was just…something, about the blue of his eyes and the scent of the ocean rolling of him, something about the softness of his smile and the warmth of his laugh, that just left Keith unable to return the hatred.

He only realised that those feelings were those of love after graduation, months too late to do anything about them by that point.

So when opportunity came knocking at his door…well, if there was one thing he had learnt, it was that that was a door he had to open no matter what, even if it lead to disappointment.

****  
“You know”, he started, perched on to a bench by Lance’s side whilst he was taking a short break, interest piqued by the way the tanned boy moved and molded the clay beneath his fingers like a spider weaved its silk, “I never got this whole… _thing_ we had back in high school.”

He was certain he saw Lance’s hands freeze, but his expression gave nothing away, promptly carrying on his work as before, not sparing a glance Keith’s way.

They had been working together for a few days now, and after copious amounts of small talk and light-hearted banter, Keith felt it appropriate to start this conversation.

“I’m not sure I’m following.”

Keith scrunched his nose at the fake indifference Lance was putting into his words.

“You know…the whole ‘rivalry hatred’ kind of thing. You swore to everyone that we’re mortal enemies or some shit.”

“Oh”, Lance breathed a laugh, looking down to grab a pick from the floor, apparently ready to work on some details on the sculpture that by now strongly resembled Keith in a frightening yet almost endearing way, “that.”

“Yeah that. You know…you do know I never hated you, right?”

He knew that if this was the same Keith he was all those years ago, back in high school, he’d never have admitted that to anyone, much less the person himself.

That seemed to make Lance falter, his movements stopping mid-track, face turning to face Keith with ocean eyes wide and lips parted.

“It’s not like you ever really gave me a reason to. I guess I was just wondering if I did anything that sparked that hatred, you know?”

The pointed look he gave Lance didn’t seem to get lost on him, yet the sculptor laughed, shaking his head and shutting his eyes and nearly stopping Keith’s heart from working.

“That…I know. Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, I really didn’t.”

Keith could’ve sworn Lance’s cheeks and nose were dusted pink, but he blamed that on the soft evening light gleaming through the windows behind them.

“No, you didn’t do anything. There was no…there was no actual hatred, honestly.” he put his tools down, turning to fully face Keith, propping his hands on his lap.

“I didn’t hate you either.”

In all the seriousness that he knew Lance could master, he was certain that the words were sincere, despite the pout gracing Lance’s face as he said them.

“Alright…then what the hell was all that ‘mortal enemy’ shit about?”

Lance seemed to falter for a moment before shaking his head, small smile finding its way on him as it constantly did, and he turned back to his work soon enough.

“That…is a story for another day.”  
“Oh? And when will that day be?” Keith whined, arms crossed over his chest and feet swinging in the air as a form of childish protest. Why wasn’t Lance telling him now?!

“Hm…how about this. On the day of the exhibition, you come and grace us with your presence. Perhaps I won’t need to explain anything then, if you’re as smart as I remembered you to be.”

Lance set the bait and Keith was caught in it once again.

“Is that how it’s gonna be Lance?”

“Yes, that is how it’s gonna be, _niño bonito_ .”

“Then you’re _on_.”  
*****

Lance would never be able to admit it. Not face to face, not with a half-naked Keith looking at him with the same pout he’d wanted to kiss since his high school days.

No, Lance had grown far too much for that, embarrassment finally getting under his skin.

He’d profusely refused to reveal the title of his work, of the gorgeous figure that was taking Keith’s form more and more by the day.

The only time that he’d announce the title of it to anyone, would be on the day of the exhibition, were there’s no shame when an artist presents their finest work.

And if that work was called _‘Tribute to a past love and future lover’_ …well, art is always open for interpretation, and he’d look forward to what kind of meaning the boy with the violet eyes and raven hair would have to say on that.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, hope you like this! Kudos/comments are always super appreciated <3


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